Joe Montana | American Football Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Pro Football Hall of Fame Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr., (born June 11, 1956 in New Eagle, Pennsylvania), nicknamed Joe Cool and Comeback Joe, [1] is a retired American football player whose professional career in the National Football League (NFL) spanned the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers , where he played quarterback (QB) for the next 14 seasons. He spent the 1993 and 1994 seasons, his final two years in the NFL, with the Kansas City Chiefs . [2] While a member of the 49ers, Montana started four Super Bowl games and the team won all of them. In 2000, Montana was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame . his first year of eligibility.

[3] In 1989, and again in 1990, the Associated Press named Montana the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), and Sports Illustrated magazine named Montana the 1990 "Sportsman of the Year". [4] Four years earlier, in 1986, Montana won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Montana was elected to eight Pro Bowls , as well as being voted 1st team All-Pro by the AP in 1987, 1989, and 1990. Montana had the highest passer rating in the National Football Conference (NFC) five times (1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1989); and, in both 1987 and 1989, Montana had the highest passer rating in the entire NFL. Noted for his ability to remain calm under pressure, Montana helped his teams to 31 fourth quarter come-from-behind wins. In the closing moments of the 1981 NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XXIII , Montana threw game-winning touchdown passes.

The touchdown at the end of the NFC championship game was so memorable that sports journalists, fans, and many others, refer to the play simply as " The Catch ". The touchdown in the closing moments of Super Bowl XXIII came at the end of a 92-yard drive. The 49ers retired the number 16, the jersey number Montana wore while with the team. In 1993, Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and led the franchise to its first AFC Championship Game in January 1994. In 1994, Montana earned a spot on the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team; he is also a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. In 1999, editors at The Sporting News ranked Montana third on their list of "Football's 100 Greatest Players." Also in 1999, ESPN named Montana the 25th greatest athlete of the 20th century. In 2006, Sports Illustrated rated him the number one clutch quarterback of all-time. [5] Contents Edit Montana was born to Joseph Clifford Montana, Sr.

(born 1932) and Theresa Marie Bavuso Montana (1935–2004) in New Eagle, Pennsylvania, a borough of Washington County located in the western portion of the state. He grew up in the neighboring city of Monongahela, a coal mining town just 25 miles (40 km) south of Pittsburgh. [6] His maternal grandparents, Vincenzo "James" Bavuso and Josephine Savarino Bavuso, were both Italian immigrants. His maternal grandmother, Josephine Savarino Bavuso (1909–1993), emigrated from Sicily to the United States with her parents, Domenico Savarino (1885–1960) and Vincenza Diecidue Savarino (1885–1930), in 1921. Upon their arrival in the United States, the Savarino Family first settled in eastern Ohio in the small coal mining community of Harpersville, Smithfield Township, Jefferson County. A few years later, the family relocated to the Elm Grove area of Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia.

Vincenzo "James" Bavuso and Josephine Savarino married in 1928 in Wheeling and later relocated to California, Washington County in Western Pennsylvania where their children — Samuel, Dominick, Theresa (Montana's mother), Virginia and Patricia Bavuso — were born and raised. Joe Montana expressed an early interest in sports, and it was Montana Sr. who first taught him the game of football. Montana started to play youth football when he was just eight years old, aided in part by his father. Montana Sr. listed his son as a nine-year-old so that Montana could meet the league's minimum age requirement. [7] During his formative years, Montana took an interest in baseball and basketball, in addition to football. In fact, basketball was Montana's favorite sport as a child. [8] Montana Sr. started a local basketball team that his son played on. The team practiced and played at the local armory and played their games in various regional tournaments. Montana received his primary education at Waverly Elementary and his secondary education at Finleyville Junior High (known as Finleyville Middle School) and Ringgold High School.

[8] While at Ringgold, Montana played football, baseball, and basketball. [6] Montana showed potential as a basketball player and helped Ringgold win the 1973 WPIAL Class AAA boys' basketball championship while being named an all-state player. [9] He was so good that during his senior year, North Carolina State offered Montana a basketball scholarship. [10] Although Montana turned down the scholarship, he seriously considered NCSU because of a promise that he could play both basketball and football for the university. Montana spent his first two years on the high school football team as a backup. As a junior, Montana earned the job as the Ringgold Rams' starting quarterback. [6] Montana held the role for the final two years of his high school career; after his senior year, Parade named him to their All-American team. [10] One of Montana's most notable performances during his high school years was during his senior year in a game against Monessen High School. Although Monessen scored a game-tying touchdown in the final moments, [8] Montana's performance garnered attention from college recruiters, particularly those from Notre Dame .

[6] In the game, Montana completed 12 passes in 22 attempts, threw for 223 yards, and scored three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. [8] Notre Dame eventually offered Montana a scholarship, and he accepted. One contributing factor in Montana's choice of colleges was that Terry Hanratty , his boyhood idol, had attended Notre Dame. [10] In 2006, thirty-two years after Montana had graduated, Ringgold renamed their football stadium "Joe Montana Stadium." [9] College career Edit When Montana arrived at Notre Dame in the fall of 1974, the football program was coached by Ara Parseghian . Under Parseghian's tenure, Notre Dame had won the NCAA national championship in 1966 and 1973 . Parseghian's success as a coach helped him recruit highly talented players. Though Montana was a talented player, under Notre Dame policy in 1974 freshmen were not permitted to practice with or play on the varsity team, and consequently Montana played only in a few freshman team games. [8] Montana's first significant contributions to the Notre Dame football team came during his sophomore year.

On December 15, 1974, Parseghian resigned due to health problems. [8] The university hired Dan Devine to replace Parseghian. Despite his limited playing time the previous year, Montana performed well during the 1975 spring practice. Devine was so impressed that he later told his wife: "I'm gonna start Joe Montana in the final spring game." When she replied, "Who's Joe Montana?", Devine said: "He's the guy who's going to feed our family for the next few years." [8] 1975 Edit Devine did not feel Montana was ready to be the full-time starter in 1975; [8] however, Montana played a key role in Notre Dame's victory over North Carolina . [8] During the game, played in Chapel Hill, Montana came in with 5:11 left to play. At the time, North Carolina led by a score of 14–6. Montana spent one minute and two seconds of game time on the field. In that time, he had 129 passing yards and Notre Dame won the game 21–14.

[8] Against Air Force , Notre Dame's next opponent, Montana again entered the game in the fourth quarter. Although Air Force led 30–10, Notre Dame won the game 31-30. [8] After the win against North Carolina, Devine said that Moose Krause , the Notre Dame Athletic Director , said that the game was the "greatest comeback I've ever seen." [8] After the game against Air Force, Krause was quoted as saying: "This one's better than last week." [8] In those two games, Montana had demonstrated his ability to perform well in high pressure circumstances. That characteristic would prove valuable, and Montana relied on it throughout his football career. [8] 1976 Before the start of the 1976 season, Montana separated his shoulder, [8] and was unable to compete that year and redshirted , earning him one more year of eligibility than other members of his scholarship class. 1977 Edit When the 1977 season began, Montana was the third quarterback listed on the team's depth chart , behind Rusty Lisch and Gary Forystek.

[10] Notre Dame won their season opener and then lost to Mississippi by a score of 20–13. Montana did not appear in either of those games. [11] In their third game of the season, Notre Dame played Purdue . Lisch started and was then replaced by Forystek. In one play, Forystek suffered a broken vertebra, a broken clavicle, and a severe concussion; it was the last play of Forystek's sports career. [8] Devine inserted Lisch back into the game before Montana finally had the opportunity to play. Montana entered with approximately 11 minutes remaining and Purdue leading 24-14; he threw for 154 yards and one touchdown, and Notre Dame won the game 31-24. [8] After the game, Devine made Montana the first quarterback on the depth chart [10] and the team won their remaining nine games. In their final game of the season, Notre Dame defeated top-ranked Texas by a score of 38–10 in the Cotton Bowl .

[12] Notre Dame's record of eleven wins and one loss earned them the NCAA national title, the only title the school won while Devine was head coach. 1978 Edit The following year, Montana helped Notre Dame to a come from behind win against the Pitt Panthers . He almost pulled off a second one against USC , Notre Dame's primary rival . Trailing 24–6 in the second half, Montana led a fourth-quarter rally to put Notre Dame ahead, 25–24 with 45 seconds remaining, only to see the Trojans win, 27–25, on a last-second field goal. On January 1, 1979, Notre Dame returned to the Cotton Bowl , this time against Houston . Montana's performance in that game is one of the most celebrated of his entire football career; [8] the circumstances of the game have led to it being referred to as the " Chicken Soup Game ". [13] Montana fell ill during the game, received warmed intravenous fluids during halftime, during which he also drank chicken soup, and went back into the game in the fourth quarter. Notre Dame ran their last offensive play with four seconds remaining on the game clock.

The Irish scored a touchdown and won the game 35 to 34. As a result of the game, Notre Dame went on to produce a promotional film called Seven and a Half Minutes to Destiny. Coach Devine later referred to the piece as a "Joe Montana film." [8] Graduation and the NFL Draft Edit Montana graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in business administration and marketing. Although the NFL Combine was not formed until 1982, NFL scouts still evaluated potential draftees through the use of combines in 1979. Candidates were rated in a number of categories on a scale of one to nine, with one being the worst mark and nine being the best mark. [8] The categories they used were contingent on the position that the athlete played. [14] Despite his performance on the field, Montana was not rated highly by most scouts. At one combine, Montana rated out as six-and-a-half overall with a six in arm strength, used to judge how hard and how far a prospect could throw the ball. By comparison, Jack Thompson of Washington State rated an eight, the highest grade among eligible quarterbacks.

[8] In the 1979 NFL Draft , the San Francisco 49ers selected Montana at the end of the third round with the 82nd overall pick. [15] Montana was the fourth quarterback taken, behind Thompson, Phil Simms , and Steve Fuller , all selected in the first round. Professional career Although Montana appeared in all 16 regular season games during the 1979 season, he only threw 23 passes. He spent most of the season as the backup on the San Francisco depth chart behind starter Steve DeBerg . Montana became the starting quarterback midway through the 1980 season. [16] On December 7, 1980, San Francisco hosted the winless New Orleans Saints . The Saints took a 35–7 lead at halftime. At the start of the fourth quarter, New Orleans still led by a score of 35–21, but San Francisco tied the game by the end of regulation play. In overtime , Ray Wersching kicked a field goal to win the game for San Francisco, 38–35. This marked the first fourth quarter comeback victory in Montana's NFL career.

During his 16 seasons in the NFL, this happened a total of 31 times with Montana at quarterback; 26 of those coming as a 49er. [17] Though San Francisco finished 1980 with a record of 6-10, Montana passed for 1,795 yards and 15 touchdown passes against nine interceptions. He also completed 64.5 percent of his passes, which led the league. 1981–1983 Edit Montana began the 1981 season as San Francisco's starting quarterback. The season ended up as one of the franchise's most successful seasons to that point. Backed in part by Montana's strong performance at quarterback, the team finished the regular season with a 13–3 record. In fact, Montana helped San Francisco win two of those games with fourth-quarter comebacks. The season was a precursor to one of Montana's most memorable moments as a professional quarterback. [18] Main article: The Catch On January 10, 1982, San Francisco faced the Dallas Cowboys at Candlestick Park in the National Football Conference Championship Game .

The final quarter was marked by one of the most notable plays in NFL history. Larry Schwartz of ESPN.com later defined the 1981 NFC Championship as Montana's signature game. [7] When San Francisco took possession with 4:54 left in regulation play, Dallas led 27–21; the drive began on San Francisco's 11-yard line. Behind six successful Montana completions and four running plays, San Francisco moved the ball to the Dallas 13-yard line. After one unsuccessful pass and then a seven-yard gain, San Francisco faced third down from the Dallas 6-yard line. Montana took the snap and ran to his right. He then made an off-balance pass toward the back of the end zone, and San Francisco wide receiver Dwight Clark made a leaping catch for the game-tying touchdown. With just 51 seconds left on the game clock, Wersching kicked the extra point and San Francisco won the game 28–27. The catch by Clark was coined simply The Catch, and it put San Francisco into Super Bowl XVI . San Francisco faced the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI.

Montana completed 14 of 22 passes for 157 yards with one touchdown passing and one rushing touchdown. San Francisco won the game 26–21, and in recognition of his performance, Montana won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award , which he accomplished two more times before he retired. The Super Bowl win also made Montana one of only two quarterbacks (along with Joe Namath ) to win a college national championship and a Super Bowl. Montana had a prolific season in 1982 . However, the regular season was shortened to nine games when members of the Player's Association went on strike . Although San Francisco failed to make the playoffs, Montana threw for 2,613 yards and 17 touchdowns during the year. He also set what was then an NFL record with five consecutive 300 yard passing games. The next year, Montana threw for 3,910 yards and 26 touchdowns in 16 regular season games. The team ended the regular season with a 10-6 record and finished first in the NFC West. In the divisional playoff game , they faced the Detroit Lions . Yet again, Montana demonstrated his ability to perform well in high-pressure situations.

Despite being out-played in terms of total yardage, the 49ers trailed by just six points as the game neared its conclusion. However, with 1:23 remaining in regulation, the 49ers offense had the ball at the Lions 14-yard line. Montana completed a touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Solomon , and San Francisco took the lead on the ensuing extra-point. [19] The victory placed the 49ers in the NFC Championship game against the Washington Redskins . As he had done before, Montana asserted himself late in the game. The Redskins led 21–0 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Montana helped lead the 49ers back. Aided by three fourth-quarter Montana touchdown passes, the 49ers tied the game at 21. However, Redskins placekicker Mark Moseley kicked a 25-yard field goal in the waning moments of the game. Despite Montana's efforts, the team lost 24-21. 1984 Edit Though the Miami Dolphins finished the 1972 NFL season with no losses, the regular season at the time comprised only 14 games.

Thus, when the 49ers finished the 1984 NFL season with a 15–1 record, they became the first team to win 15 games in a single season. [20] Montana again had an excellent season and earned his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl. In their first two playoff games , the 49ers defeated the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears by a combined score of 44-10. In Super Bowl XIX , the 49ers faced the Dolphins, whose quarterback was Dan Marino . In the game, Montana threw for three touchdowns and completed 24 of 35 passes. He established the Super Bowl record for most yards passing in a single game (331) and supplemented his passing with 59 yards rushing. The 49ers defeated the Dolphins 38-16 and Montana earned his second Super Bowl MVP award.

After the game, 49ers head coach Bill Walsh said: "Joe Montana is the greatest quarterback today, maybe the greatest quarterback of all time." [16] 1985–1987 Edit Aided in part by Montana's performance at quarterback, the 49ers advanced to the NFL Playoffs again in 1985; however, they lost in the NFC Wild card game to the New York Giants . In 1986 , Montana suffered a severe back injury during week one of the season. The injury was to a spinal disc in Montana's lower back and required immediate surgery. The injury was so severe that Montana's doctors suggested that Montana retire. [21] On September 15, 1986, the 49ers placed Montana on the injured reserve list ; however, he returned to the team on November 6 of that year. [22] In his first game back from injury Montana passed for 270 yards and three touchdown passes in a 43-17 49er victory against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Despite the fact that Montana appeared in just eight games, and, though he threw more interceptions than touchdown passes for the only time in his career, [22] the 49ers finished the season with a record of 10–5–1. Montana was also the co-recipient of the 1986 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, an award which he shared with Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer. In 1987, Montana had 31 touchdown passes, a career high, in just 13 games. In 1987, he also set the NFL record for most consecutive pass attempts without an incomplete pass (22), [23] passed for 3,054 yards, and had a passer rating of 102.1. [24] Though the 49ers finished with the best record in the NFL, they lost in the NFC semi-finals to the Minnesota Vikings . [25] Prior to the 1987 season, Bill Walsh completed a trade for Steve Young , then a quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .

[26] Young went on to appear in eight regular season games for the team and finished the year with a passer rating of 120.8. [27] 1988–1989 Edit Young's performance in 1987 was strong enough that by the time the 1988 season began, a controversy was in place as to who should get more playing time at quarterback. Young appeared in 11 games that year and rumors surfaced claiming that Montana might be traded. [23] Despite the competition for playing time, Montana received most of the playing time during the 1988 season. After a home loss to the Los Angeles Raiders that left the 49ers with a 6–5 record, the 49ers were in danger of missing the playoffs. Montana regained the starting position and led the 49ers to a 10-6 record and the NFC Western Division title. [28] The 49ers earned a trip to Super Bowl XXIII when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears in the playoffs . In the NFC Divisional Playoffs, the 49ers faced Minnesota, who had eliminated them the year before.

Montana threw three first-half touchdowns as the 49ers won 34-9. The victory over the Bears in the NFC Championship game is of particular note. Played at Soldier Field in Chicago, with temperatures in the single digits and a strong wind, Montana threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns. His first touchdown pass came on a play in which Montana threw a perfect sideline pass to Jerry Rice on a 3rd down play late in the first quarter, and Rice outran two Bears defenders for a 61-yard score. The 49ers won 28-3 to advance to Super Bowl XXIII. [28] In January 1989, the 49ers again faced the Bengals in the Super Bowl. Of his third trip to the Super Bowl, Montana told the San Jose Mercury News: "This trip to the Super Bowl is more gratifying than the others because the road has been harder." Then, in Super Bowl XXIII, Montana had one of the best performances of his career. He completed 23 of 36 passes for a Super Bowl record 357 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite his great performance, the 49ers found themselves trailing the Cincinnati Bengals 16-13 with only 3:20 left in the game and the ball on their own 8-yard line. But Montana calmly drove them down the field, completing 8 of 9 passes for 97 yards and throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to John Taylor with only 34 seconds left. [29] 1989 proved to be successful for Montana and the 49ers. The team finished the regular season with an NFL-best 14–2 record, [30] and their two losses were by a total of only five points. Montana threw for 3,521 yards and 26 touchdowns, with only 8 interceptions, giving him what was then the highest single-season passer rating in NFL history, a mark subsequently broken by Young in 1994. He also rushed for 227 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and earned the NFL Most Valuable Player Award . In a memorable comeback win in week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles , Montana threw four touchdown passes in the 4th quarter.

He finished with 428 yards passing and five touchdown passes in the victory. The 49ers were successful in the playoffs, easily beating the Minnesota Vikings 41–13 and the Los Angeles Rams 30-3. Montana threw for a total of 503 yards and 6 touchdowns in those 2 games, without a single interception. Then, in Super Bowl XXIV , Montana became the first player (and to date, the only player) ever to win Super Bowl MVP honors for a third time, throwing for 297 yards and a then Super Bowl record five touchdowns, while also rushing for 15 yards as the 49ers defeated the Denver Broncos 55-10, the most lopsided score in Super Bowl history. [31] 1990 Edit In 1990 , Montana once again led the 49ers to the best regular season record (14–2) in the NFL. [32] He was named by Sports Illustrated as Sportsman of the Year. A highlight from the season was a rematch with the Atlanta Falcons .

Intent on blitzing Montana most of the game, Atlanta's defense allowed Montana to throw for a career-best 476 yards (49ers single-game record) and six touchdown passes, five of them to Jerry Rice. He would end up throwing for 3,944 yards and 26 touchdowns, albeit while also throwing a career high 16 interceptions. (The 49ers went on to lose the NFC Championship Game that season to the New York Giants , by a score of 15-13.) 1991–1992 Edit Montana missed the entire 1991 season and most of the 1992 season with an elbow injury sustained during the 1990 NFC Championship Game (he did appear in a Monday Night Football game vs. Detroit Lions at the end of the '92 season, and was very effective). However, by this point, Young had replaced him as the starting quarterback. Kansas City Chiefs Edit Joe Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in April 1993 . His trade, along with the free-agent signing of star Los Angeles Raiders running back Marcus Allen to the Chiefs, generated much media attention and excitement in Kansas City.

The Chiefs mailed three jerseys to Montana. One was number 3, his number from Notre Dame. Another was number 19, which he wore in little league and also briefly in training camp of the 1979 season with San Francisco, and the third was number 16, which Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson offered to let Montana wear since the organization had retired it. Montana declined Dawson's offer and wore 19 instead and signed a $10 million contract over three years. Montana was injured for part of the 1993 season, but was still selected to his final Pro Bowl and led the Chiefs in two come-from-behind wins in the 1993 playoffs , reaching the AFC Championship Game where Kansas City lost to the Buffalo Bills . Including their two playoff victories that year (the Chiefs only had one prior playoff win since 1970 Super Bowl IV ), the 1993 Chiefs won 13 games, tying the franchise record for wins in a season. The Chiefs have not won a playoff game since the 1993 season. Montana returned healthy to the Chiefs in 1994 , starting all but two games.

His highlights included a classic duel with John Elway (which Montana won 31-28) on Monday Night Football, and a memorable game in week 2 when Montana played against his old team, the 49ers and Steve Young. In a much-anticipated match-up, Montana and the Chiefs prevailed and defeated the 49ers 24–17. Montana led his team to a final playoff appearance , in 1994. Retirement Edit On April 18, 1995, Montana announced his retirement before a huge crowd at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco. The event was broadcast live on local television, and included speeches from John Madden , Eddie DeBartolo, Jr , and others. Highlights from Montana's stay with San Francisco and interviews with former 49ers teammates were also shown. Bill Walsh served as the MC for the event. Montana's replacement with the Chiefs was his former backup in San Francisco, Steve Bono . NFL records and accomplishments Edit Among his career highlights, " The Catch " (the game-winning touchdown pass vs. Dallas in the 1981 NFC Championship Game ) and a Super Bowl-winning 92-yard drive vs.

the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII are staples of NFL highlight films . For his career with the 49ers, Montana completed 2,929 of 4,600 passes for 35,142 yards with 244 touchdowns and 123 interceptions. He had 35 300-yard passing games including 7 in which he threw for over 400 yards. His career totals: 3,409 completions on 5,391 attempts, 273 touchdowns, 139 interceptions, and 40,551 yards passing. He also rushed for 1,676 yards and 20 touchdowns. When Montana retired, his career passer rating was 92.3, second only to his 49er successor Steve Young (96.8). He has since been surpassed by five other players, which ranks his passer rating at 7th all-time. Montana also had won 100 games faster than any other quarterback until surpassed by Tom Brady in 2008. [33] His record as a starter was 117-47 .

His number 16 was retired by the 49ers on December 15, 1997 during halftime of the team's game against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football . Montana also held the record for most passing yards on a Monday night game with 458 against the Los Angeles Rams in 1989 (surpassed by Tom Brady in 2011). Montana holds postseason records for most career touchdown passes (45), games with a passer rating over 100.0 (12) and is second in passing yards (5,772) and games with 300+ passing yards (6, tied with Kurt Warner ). He also tied Terry Bradshaw 's record for consecutive playoff games with at least two touchdown passes (7) . In his four Super Bowls, Montana completed 83 of 122 passes for 1,142 yards and 11 touchdowns with no interceptions, earning him a passer rating of 127.8. Montana led his team to victory in each game, and is the only player ever to win three Super Bowl MVP awards.

Montana also holds the record for most Super Bowl pass completions (83) and pass attempts (122) without throwing an interception. He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times and selected All-Pro six times. [34] He is also the only player to have two touchdown passes of 95+ yards. [35] Personal life Edit Montana has been married three times. His first wedding was in 1974, when Montana married his hometown sweetheart, Kim Moses, during his second semester at Notre Dame; however, they divorced less than three years later. [8] Montana wed again in 1981, to Cass Castillo; they divorced in 1984. [36] He met Jennifer Wallace, an actress and model, while the two worked on a Schick commercial, and the two married in 1985. He and Jennifer are still married and have four children: Alexandra Whitney (b. 10 October 1985), Elizabeth Jean (b. 20 December 1986), Nathaniel "Nate" Joseph (b. 3 October 1989), and Nicholas Alexander (b. 28 April 1992).

Both of his sons played football for De La Salle High School (Concord, CA) and now play college football as quarterbacks. Nate for the University of Montana (after transferring from Notre Dame), and Nicholas for the University of Washington, but has announced he is transferring. In 2008, Montana sued Moses and a Dallas auction house for "violating his 'copyright and privacy rights'" after Moses "sold a bunch of letters and memorabilia from [Montana's] college days at Notre Dame ." [37] In 1986, doctors diagnosed Montana as having a narrow spinal cavity. He elected to have an operation, which was successful, and was able to return to football and continue his career. [38] Montana resides in San Francisco, California. [39] He placed his $49 million, Template:Convert/acre Sonoma County estate on sale in 2009, which was reduced to $35 million in January 2012. [40] He now owns horses and produces wine under the label Montagia.

The town of Ismay, Montana, unofficially took the name of Joe, Montana, as a publicity stunt coordinated by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993. Career statistics Twenty years ago Saturday, Joe Montana called it a career | ProFootballTalk Twenty years ago Saturday, Joe Montana called it a career Posted by Mike Wilkening on April 18, 2015, 5:52 PM EST Getty Images As the 49ers’ Twitter feed points out, Saturday is the 20th anniversary of quarterback Joe Montana’s retirement from the NFL. Montana’s departure came after two seasons with Kansas City, which traded a first-round pick for him in April 1993. While Montana wasn’t able to finish his career with the franchise with whom he won four Super Bowls, the trade worked out well for him, the Niners and the Chiefs. Let’s review. The Chiefs made the postseason in both of Montana’s seasons as a starter. He led the club to a pair of playoff wins in ’93 — the franchise’s last two postseason victories to date. His Kansas City seasons were a bookend to a spectacular career that landed him in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

The 49ers, meanwhile, ended up trading the Chiefs’ first-round pick (No. 18, 1993) to Phoenix, as ProSportsTransactions.com notes. The 49ers then traded down again, landing at No. 26 in Round One, where they selected defensive Dana Stubblefield, who was a starter on their dominant Super Bowl XXIX-winning club of 1994. But the 49ers’ draft haul from the Montana trade didn’t stop there. In trading down for Stubblefield, the 49ers landed the No. 81 overall pick, a third-rounder. They packaged a second-round pick (No. 56) and the 81st pick to the Los Angeles Raiders for a second-round pick (No. 41). It gets better. The 49ers then moved that 1993 second-round pick to the Chargers for San Diego’s first-round pick in the 1994 NFL Draft (No. 15 overall). The Chargers, for the record, took tailback Natrone Means, who helped that franchise get to Super Bowl XXIX.

So what did the 49ers do with the Chargers’ first-round pick? According to ProSportsTransactions.com , the 49ers traded it to the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 7 pick to take defensive tackle Bryant Young — who, like Stubblefield, was a starter at defensive tackle right off the bat. And when the Chargers and 49ers met in Super Bowl XXIX, Means rushed for just 33 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. To review: Joe Montana helped the 49ers win four Super Bowls, and when the franchise moved on from him, it picked up a couple of key pieces needed to win a fifth Super Bowl. There’s a reason why the 49ers were as good as they were for as long as they were. Did they ever know talent, and did they ever know how to work the draft. The words “Joe Montana, third-round pick” ought to ring a bell, too. Share this: buff80 says: Apr 18, 2015 6:09 PM I still remember his head bouncing off the turf in Buffalo.

That was the end of Joey pinkmist4 says: Apr 18, 2015 6:11 PM Makes me feel old PhD says: Apr 18, 2015 6:13 PM One tradition that has carried on is that even Baalke does well in accumulating picks. Now if he could just get WRs down, the team might have something. whenwilliteverend says: Apr 18, 2015 6:18 PM The key phrase there is “twenty years ago.” I doubt anyone will be saying the same thing about the current Niners front office twenty years from now. weepingjebus says: Apr 18, 2015 6:27 PM How much of it owed to Jerry “Sticky” Rice? When you throw in the headset trickery and other “gamesmanship” those two may be the biggest cheaters of all time. Apr 18, 2015 6:32 PM Best quarterback ever! Apr 18, 2015 6:33 PM 2nd best quarterback ever! Quite a player.

abninf says: Apr 18, 2015 6:33 PM One of the most overrated players in history. Chunk and dunk. Apr 18, 2015 6:42 PM Best quarterback ever. Never lost the Super Bowl or through a pick in it. Apr 18, 2015 6:43 PM Not a single playoff win since Joe retired. Nice work. thereisfootballwestofjersey says: Apr 18, 2015 6:44 PM We were driving the family station wagon during THE CATCH against Dallas in 1981. The reception was in and out so when it would pop in loud & clear we’d pull over. Jack Buck & Hank Stram on the call. Awesome football memory voiceofreason01 says: Apr 18, 2015 6:50 PM Hey brainwashed NE pasties fans – KISS THE RINGS!!! Joe “The Goat” Montana didn’t have to cheat for his rings. U hate us cuz u aint us!! All of America mocks u & your despicable franchise of cheaters & murderers.

crappygovernment says: Apr 18, 2015 6:55 PM Why couldn’t Joe Montana get an NFL TV commentator gig after his playing days when the likes of Bill Maas and Tim Green could? Weird! icallbs81 says: Apr 18, 2015 7:03 PM Yell Bills poster some of us remember when you let the NFC east win all those super bowls. Apr 18, 2015 7:06 PM A great QB like manning is today. So close, yet so far Apr 18, 2015 7:07 PM Super Joe is the best I, and John Madden ever saw. joetoronto says: Apr 18, 2015 7:08 PM I can’t stand the 49ers but seriously, Montana was the greatest, every pass was exactly where it needed to be. Apr 18, 2015 7:12 PM A classic example of brains trumping brawn. Apr 18, 2015 7:20 PM Man, I am old!

DaveKShape says: Apr 18, 2015 7:22 PM What a great player and a great career. I’m 32, and old enough to remember Joe in his heyday. Going to be that guy calling into sports radio when I’m 60 when they’re having that down-time debate on the greatest QBs ever. He’s on the Mt. Rushmore for sure. Apr 18, 2015 7:24 PM Best QB to play the game. rollotomasi14 says: Apr 18, 2015 7:34 PM Sorry, has a losing record on the road in the playoffs. Can’t be the greatest with that. corky2141 says: Apr 18, 2015 7:35 PM “There’s a reason why the 49ers were as good as they were for as long as they were. Did they ever know talent, and did they ever know how to work the draft.” – And did they ever know how to circumvent the salary cap!

Apr 18, 2015 7:36 PM voiceofreason01 says: Apr 18, 2015 6:50 PM Hey brainwashed NE pasties fans – KISS THE RINGS!!! Joe “The Goat” Montana didn’t have to cheat for his rings. U hate us cuz u aint us!! All of America mocks u & your despicable franchise of cheaters & murderers. ————————————————- When did the Pats cheat? Oh yeah, did Jerry Rice admit on camera that he used stick ‘um, which was banned by the NFL. Sounds like cheating to me. Apr 18, 2015 7:40 PM 2nd best QB behind Teddy Bridgewater…. Apr 18, 2015 7:44 PM My favorite QB of all time. Apr 18, 2015 7:46 PM ..the greatest QB ever imop!…..give that man a free pizza.

j0esixpack says: Apr 18, 2015 7:56 PM voiceofreason01 says: Hey brainwashed NE pasties fans – KISS THE RINGS!!! Joe “The Goat” Montana didn’t have to cheat for his rings. U hate us cuz u aint us!! All of America mocks u & your despicable franchise of cheaters & murderers. ————————————— Someday, you’re going to look back on these rants and be very very embarrassed At least I hope you are TheWizard says: Apr 18, 2015 8:12 PM Why couldn’t Joe Montana get an NFL TV commentator gig after his playing days He did for a short time, but wasn’t very good at it and only stayed with it for a short time. I enjoyed watching his Chiefs years, that was pretty cool. mancave001 says: Apr 18, 2015 8:13 PM Greatest, period. All you have to do is actually watch him play versus all others, including Brady and Manning. If Brady wins another, it’s a tie.

tonebones says: Apr 18, 2015 8:14 PM Simply the greatest football player of all times. The second best is so far behind it’s not even worth talking about. There’s God, and then there’s Joe Montana. tedmurph says: Apr 18, 2015 8:37 PM Montana is not an announcer because he wouldn’t wanna take the pay cut. He’s made a fortune outside of FB in wine, real estate and other ventures. Good for him. Brady is the GOAT. He did it in the salary cap era, many times with waiver wire tools. As opposed to the all star teams and great defenses Montana played with. Getting to 6 SBowls is better than getting to 4. Brady has a better regular season record and post season record. Less one and outs. All across the board. He’ll probably play 5 more yrs. Appreciate everyone’s romanticised nostalgia, but you have it wrong. realfootballfan says: Apr 18, 2015 8:40 PM Still first name Greatest, last name Ever to do it in my lifetime.

I never saw Unitas, so I can’t comment on him, but Montanna was the man. 8oneanddones says: Apr 18, 2015 8:49 PM He was great. One of the greatest ever. That being said, he also played in an era with no salary cap and no free agency or parity, and his owner was willing to pay big bucks to stack the team. He also was fortunate to have several hall of famers as teammates. jhorton83 says: Apr 18, 2015 8:54 PM crappygovernment says: Apr 18, 2015 6:55 PM Why couldn’t Joe Montana get an NFL TV commentator gig after his playing days when the likes of Bill Maas and Tim Green could? Weird! ———————————————————————- He did try being a commentator briefly with NBC after his retirement. He didn’t like it though and left after one season. I’m sure he could easily get a commentator gig if he wanted it. He just doesn’t want it or need the money.

whenwilliteverend says: Apr 18, 2015 9:01 PM Here’s what I think sets Joe Montana apart. I’m not sure if you knew this but he called his own plays. Someone tried to figure out if he had any tendencies so they charted all the plays he called. Throughout the entire season he never called the same play on first down. Look, I hated the 49ers. I went to college in Cincinnati in the early 80s and again in the late 80s–after the Army. That was during both years the Bengals lost in the Super Bowl to the 49ers. Still, Joe was amazing and may have been the best QB at calling his own plays. I’d say maybe Peyton is up there but nobody was as good of a game manager than Joe. I hated him not only for beating two very good Bengal teams (the Bengals were the only teams to ever even give the 49ers a good game) but also because he went to Notre Dumb. abninf says: Apr 18, 2015 9:06 PM tedmurph says: Brady is the GOAT.

He did it in the salary cap era, many times with waiver wire tools. As opposed to the all star teams and great defenses Montana played with. ====================================== You have no clue how Brady would have done without all the rules protecting QB’s and receivers today. revren10 says: Apr 18, 2015 9:20 PM Brady is greatest of all time. Montana titles are tainted with glue hands rice. Brady and the New England Patriots greatest QB and Franchise. tedmurph says: Apr 18, 2015 9:35 PM You have no clue how Brady would have done without all the rules protecting QB’s and receivers today. ———————————————————-Neither do you. Apr 18, 2015 9:42 PM Through three years, Wilson is a better third round pick. GOAT thru three. tedmurph says: Apr 18, 2015 9:51 PM Here’s what I think sets Joe Montana apart. I’m not sure if you knew this but he called his own plays. ————————————————— Nonsense!

Walsh invented the 15-25 scripted plays for his version of the WCOffense, no matter what the D did. Apr 18, 2015 9:56 PM brady couldn’t hold Montana’s jock. Rings without cheating… vipod4ever says: Apr 18, 2015 10:16 PM Joe Montana isn’t the only GOAT to retire on April 18. Wayne Gretzky played his last game ever on this day back in ’99. Isn’t that something! tedmurph says: Apr 18, 2015 10:23 PM Glad mommy woke you up voices, wouldn’t want you to missa cheap cheater post. Gretsky is the GOAT IMO. And I’m from Boston(RGOrr) j0esixpack says: Apr 18, 2015 10:35 PM Why would any “logical” or “voice of reason” give Montana EXTRA credit for losing in the playoffs BEFORE the Super Bowl? Brady and Montana BOTH have four rings.

The only difference is Montana failed to make it to as many Super Bowls as Brady. It’s like ignoring out how many one and done’s Peyton Manning has but pointing to his “perfect” Super Bowl record of 1-0 We’d all love to hear how you “logical voices of reason” think that losing in the first round of the playoffs is better than making it all the way to the Super Bowl. We’re waiting… granadafan says: Apr 18, 2015 10:46 PM Montana was the best. Very cool in the pocket and nothing rattled him. People point to the lack of salary cap, but Montana played in an era when defenders could mug receivers and really smack the QB without all the penalties. Today’s QBs can sit in the pocket all day without worrying too much about getting touched without a defensive penalty. Today’s QBs can concentrate on the play and not worry as much about having your head torn off by players like Lawrence Taylor.

scw1993 says: Apr 18, 2015 11:09 PM voiceofreason01 says: Apr 18, 2015 6:50 PM Hey brainwashed NE pasties fans – KISS THE RINGS!!! Joe “The Goat” Montana didn’t have to cheat for his rings. U hate us cuz u aint us!! All of America mocks u & your despicable franchise of cheaters & murderers. —————————————————– voiceinhishead is a frustrated Seahawks fan…not a 49er fan. He just came out from under his bed, he was there comforting Chippy. 28 -24 … you mad??? tonebones says: Apr 18, 2015 11:14 PM Just in case people are interested in facts: The 49ers had the lowest payroll in the league when they won their first Super Bowl. They didn’t “buy” it with DeBartolo’s money.

DeBartolo was very generous, so he’d pay guys much more than they could get on the open market, but those were all guys they drafted, and many of their superstars came in the late rounds. They dominated the draft every year despite picking at or near the end of every round. Look at the list of the greatest drafts of all time, and the 49ers have four of the top ten, and they all happened in the 80s. Once Carmen Policy took control of the front office they no longer dominated the draft, so they did some funny things with the salary cap., and they bought their last super bowl, the one with Steve Young at QB, but the Montana era was all about scouting and drafting well. cooperspur says: Apr 18, 2015 11:46 PM Awesome QB. Almost as good as Marino. facebook.com/joesimmonscomic AKA Slow Joe (Bucs fan) says: Apr 19, 2015 12:00 AM My favorite player ever. Though I agreed with the 49ers that they had to trade him when Young started to flourish.

Weird that so many Niner QBs end up starting in KC: Joe Montana Apr 19, 2015 1:02 AM Best big game QB of all time beavwarius says: Apr 19, 2015 1:03 AM Played with 9 hof players. Inflated numbers,played in weakest division for a decade. Pre salery cap era when niners put out big dollars to gobble up best players from all teams. Steve young was a better qb for the niners. Marino. Favre. Aikman. Brady. Elway. All better. Rodgers better today. culturalelitist says: Apr 19, 2015 1:04 AM Certainly one of the top five QBs ever, and maybe THE best. Nicely-written article, and it also points up how good the 49ers were in every aspect of the team. Eddie Debartolo was as good an owner as Montana was a quarterback. His situation should have been handled very differently, but I suspect he was unpopular with other owners, and why wouldn’t he be?

florida76 says: Apr 19, 2015 1:09 AM Surprised no one hasn’t mentioned the other two landmark wins for Montana as a Chief. He took down John Elway and the Broncos in Denver, with another comeback win, as KC snapped a long string of losses at Mile High Stadium. Then in 1994, he beat the eventual World Champion 49ers, which was a strange sight, indeed. Funny to hear folks comparing Brady and his one honest ring with Montana’s four. But Brady choked in the 17-0 season, delivering a mediocre performance in the Super Bowl. No way Montana plays that poorly in that situation. Apr 19, 2015 1:46 AM And 19 years ago, the NFL on NBC pulled the plug on Joe. fmc651 says: Apr 19, 2015 2:41 AM For all you Pats fans that try to say Brady is better just stop. Joe never lost a SB. Joe never threw a pick in a SB and if Seattle gives the ball to Lynch Brady loses 3.

And he should not have gone to one because he fumbled and he won. Just stop with that noise. Apr 19, 2015 7:30 AM G.O.A.T.!!!! conormacleod says: Apr 19, 2015 7:50 AM I didn’t even read the article. I just thought to myself; “man, I’m getting old”. fritz96 says: Apr 19, 2015 8:20 AM It has to be remembered that Montana had a much shorter window for success than Brady. In his first couple of years San Francisco wasn’t a good team and between his back injuries and playing for KC he didn’t have a chance to win a Super Bowl at the end of his career either. Both QBs may have won 4 SBs but what Montana did in 9 years, Brady took 15 years to do. 49erstim says: Apr 19, 2015 8:25 AM @j0sixpack……. Manning doesn’t have a perfect Super Bowl record. He is 1-2. He is vastly overrated.

As for Joe Cool being the GOAT. I believe that he is. I watched him play. People pointing to him and “only” 4 Super Bowl appearances…… do you know how many great teams there used to be in that era? Today there are a lot of “good teams”. Back then there was a handful of “great teams”. That speaks to the competetiveness of that era. Those Giants teams and Cowboys teams weren’t easy to beat and SF didn’t always come out on top. Apr 19, 2015 8:55 AM Brady did more with less. bencoates57 says: Apr 19, 2015 8:57 AM “Those Giants teams and Cowboys teams weren’t easy to beat and SF didn’t always come out on top.” ———————- Try having to compete against Peyton Manning in his prime every single year. And those Giants teams Brady faced in the Super Bowls were among the best teams to punch their tickets. You saw what they did to Favre and Rogers led Green Bay clubs in Green Bay.

speed3me says: Apr 19, 2015 10:07 AM Love the whole Brady and Montana debate, as they are both excellent players. Personally i feel Montana was better as HE drove down and threw touchdowns to win superbowls. Brady couldn’t drive the whole field and had to have an incredible clutch kicker win him his first three superbowls. Even look at his 4th superbowl, new england had that game lost but the worst play call made them win. Apr 19, 2015 10:10 AM fishpumper says: Apr 19, 2015 10:26 AM Loved watching Montana play. Best QB in history of the game. Who’s the only QB to win 4 SBs in 6 years? Ravens fans. You know who it is. NE fans? Think Tommy Boy’s the greatest? Not even in the top 4.

las0023 says: Apr 19, 2015 10:45 AM Montana threw 122 passes in 4 Super Bowls but never threw a pass as bad as those 2 interceptions Brady threw against Seattle. Apr 19, 2015 10:49 AM 49erstim makes good points The pros and cons of different eras…. Fewer teams, less competition in terms of overall talent and conditioning, yet the talent was more concentrated The salary cap and free agency era cuts both ways. The 49ers could keep their players – but so too could every other team I just don’t think that Montana should get extra points for failing to make it to the two additional Super Bowls Brady made it to (even if Brady lost) Apr 19, 2015 2:30 PM Brady has more playoff wins. Brady is Numero Uno. orrnumberfour says: Apr 19, 2015 2:32 PM When all is said and done, Brady will be far more accomplished, and therefore, will have had the better career.

laserw says: Apr 19, 2015 7:56 PM I’ve never been a fan of the 49ers or Chiefs – but without a doubt, Joe Montana was absolutely one of the best QB’s and was always a class act as a QB. Joe M should run a school on the QB’s coming out of college how to approach things and to grow the hell up before taking any snap in the NFL. Kudos to Joe M. Your career was first rate and you gave true NFL fans highlights throughout your career. And that pass in the endzone against the Cowpies was one of my favorite all time plays in NFL history! idpfantasyfootball says: Apr 20, 2015 10:38 AM Wow… 20 years ago… I was sitting on the AP Sportswire and watched his retirement story cross. I knew a few seconds before everyone else in the world… Ah.. the days before social media! jvibottomline says: Apr 20, 2015 11:08 AM Niners of the 1980’s and 1990’s, only real Dynasty the NFL has ever had

Question: In which decade did Joe Montana retire from football?
Answer: 1990s